A Dorset based author has had her latest novel scouted by Hollywood Oscar winning actress and director Reese Witherspoon with talks of turning it into a film.
International bestselling author Clare Leslie Hall, whose Dorset-based novel 'Broken Country' captivated readers worldwide, has sold the film rights to her story to Hello Sunshine, the Los Angeles production company co-owned by Reese Witherspoon, and Sony 3000, after the two approached her with a joint proposal for a film adaptation.
The film rights to 'Broken Country' were sold in 2024 following the novel’s publication.
As soon as Clare hit submission on her Dorset-based novel, its popularity grew at a rapid rate, going on to be sold in 32 different countries.
Prior to Broken Country, Clare also authored 'Days you were mine' and 'Pictures of him'.
Clare has since confirmed that a script for Broken Country has now been written, and that both production companies remain committed, with the film’s development well underway.
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When asked why she thinks ‘Broken Country’ resonated with readers so deeply, Clare said: “I think it might be because some of the themes are very universal.
“When I wrote it I wondered whether if it was actually rather an English story.
“Dorset-centric really.
“I spent a lot of time with Dorset farmers and saw it through their eyes.
As a journalist turned writer, Clare describes her latest novel as a “love letter to Dorset” and said much of the inspiration for Broken Country came from the landscape of her hometown near Shaftsbury and its surrounding areas.
She said: “There’s a lot of mentions of Shaftsbury.
“I think they (characters in the book) go on honeymoon in Lyme Regis.
“Mainly, I live in an old farmhouse surrounded by fields and the landscape of the novel is the landscape of my home.
“I see the oak tree; I pass it every day on my dog walk.
“I see the tractors and I think of Frank (a character in the book).
“It’s like a film in my head; it always was when I wrote it.
She described 'Broken Country' as a cross genre-novel which weaves mystery, court room drama and a love story into the life of a young woman called Beth.
Set in the 1950’s and 60’s in a small Dorset village community, Beth’s life is turned when she becomes torn between her Farmer husband Frank and her first love Gabriel.
Clare described the characters relationships to be a “passionate love triangle” which eventually see’s the story evolve into a “scandalous murder trial”.
The novel was initially selected for ‘Reese’s book club’, a community also founded by actress and director Reese Witherspoon to share stories that elevate female voices.
When asked about her connections with Reese, Clare said:
“I was in conversation with her in New York on my book launch.
“We did an event together where we were in conversation talking about Broken Country.
When asked about their interactions, Clare said: “She’s just as smart and kind and warm and funny and insightful as you would expect her to be from seeing her in films.
“She’s just an amazing person who passionately believes in putting women’s stories front and centre.
“That’s what her book club does and that’s what her film production company does.
“I feel very honoured to be apart of that.
“It’s so vital for women’s stories to be heard not just in terms of fiction but across all mediums.”
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Looking ahead, Clare said that no actors have yet been confirmed to play the characters in Broken Country, but the script drafts she has read stay true to the spirit of her original novel.
For fans and eager readers, Clare added she is in the process of writing her next book which is also inspired by the landscapes of Dorset.
She said: “My next book is set on the Jurassic coast, so I have been spending a lot of time there."
For more information on Clare Leslie Hall books and appearances, visit the Clare Leslie Hall website directly.
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